Sermons on Past Hurts:

Forgetting What's Behind. Straining For What's Ahead.

Contributed by Quintin Marrow on Apr 3, 2001

Forsaking all past achievements and human advantages, St. Paul strains ahead to be found in Christ; this striving is by faith, and results in an imputed righteousness from God, a sharing in the sufferings of Christ, Christlikeness and participation in the resurrection of the dead.

“Forgetting what’s behind. Straining for what’s ahead.” April 1, 2001 The Rev’d Quintin Marrow St. Anne’s Episcopal Church Oceanside, California The Text: Phil. 3:8-14 In sixteenth-century France, the start of the new year was observed on April first. It was celebrated ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:8-14, Romans 6:1-14

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Passover Series

Contributed by Chris Appleby on Oct 18, 2000

God has recorded his dealings with his people for our benefit, so we can trust him to carry out his promises knowing how he’s carried them out in the past.

Exodus 11:1-12:14 I remember talking to a girl of about 15 a number of years ago who was struggling with the question of whether she was really a Christian. She’d grown up in a Christian family and had always been a Christian, but now was having to work out what that meant for herself. Her parents ...read more

Denomination: Anglican

God's Last Word Series

Contributed by Mitchell Skelton on Aug 31, 2003

God spoke in many ways and at different times in the past. (Burning Bushes, smoke and lightning, dreams and vision, etc.) This encouraging word from Hebrews reiterates the reason and the meaning of the last time God spoke to humanity.

God’s Last Word Series: Messages from Hebrews 1:1–2:4 Hebrews INTRODUCTION Illustration: Not long after the fall of the Soviet Union, an elderly Russian woman came to America. One day she went for the first time to an American supermarket. Accustomed to long lines and food shortages, she ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 1:1-5

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Parable Of The Gracious And Merciful Gardener

Contributed by Evelyn Weston on Mar 14, 2004

Lent 3C: Looking past the Law and the barren fig tree, we find the Good News that Jesus let himself be cut down rather than let the fig tree (us) be cut down.

With One Voice # 713 - Lord, Let My Heart Be Good Soil Let us pray: Lord, let our hearts be good soil. Plant the seed of your Word in our minds and hearts, and help it to bring forth fruit in our lives. Amen Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do bad things happen at all? Questions ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:1-9

Denomination: Lutheran

A New Year A New You Part I

Contributed by Chris Carroll on Jan 14, 2008

New Years is always the perfect opportunity for us to reflect on the past to recommit to the present and to plan for the future. The great intellectual giant Socrates once said “an unexamined life is not worth living.” And so at the end of 2007 and the

A New Year, A New You. Part I Well Christmas came upon us so fast and now it has passed. And now comes the season of Deck the Halls with piles and piles of bills to help us remember what we did this Christmas season. Maybe you heard the story of the young college student and she came running in ...read more

Scripture: James 4:14

Denomination: Baptist

Ghostbusters

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 15, 2009

Panicked people do irrational things, like attempt to live in the past or to live out of bad religion. Panic can be dealt with only by trusting God and living in integrity. Luther’s Reformation is a prime illustration.

Children are not the only ones who are afraid of the dark. You do not have to be a child to be subject to irrational, unreasoning fears, fears that take you over and leave you breathless. Children may be afraid of dark rooms and of monsters under the bed, but the rest of us also panic. Don’t tell ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 28:3-18

Denomination: Baptist

The New Family

Contributed by Rick Stacy on May 21, 2009

The key characteristic of a growing and strong spiritual “young person” in God is that they have overcome the evil one. Notice that the word is overcome – not defeat. The idea is that you get past him – not that you crush him – that is up to God in the

Growing Up is Part of Life And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:52 I was a little child when I grew up in the small town of Kalkaska. It’s about 17 miles due east of Traverse City in northern Michigan and when I lived there it had about 2000 people – total. ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:12-14

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Why Do We Do The Things We Do

Contributed by Dan Swan on Sep 7, 2006

Sermon deals with the original sin (carnal nature) that is in one’s life. Subsequent to salvation, the Holy Spirit empowers us to not make the same choices and mistakes we’ve made in the past by being entirely sanctified.

Why Do We Do the Things That We Do? Sept. 3, 2006 AM Romans 7:7—8:14 (NIV) Key verse 7:15 Why do we do the things that we do? That is a good question. There are guidelines, rules, policies, practices put into place all around us. And yet when the desire comes to break one of them, we succumb to ...read more

Denomination: Holiness

The Da Vinci Code Part One: The New Testament Vs Other Writings Series

Contributed by Don Jaques on May 24, 2006

When a fictional story purports to tell the truth – and that truth directly contradicts the teaching of the Christian church over the past 2000 years – confusion is going to be the result. The power of books and especially movies to shape our thinking as

Renowned curator Jacques Saunière staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum’s Grand Gallery. He lunged for the nearest painting he could see, a Caravaggio. Grabbing the gilded frame, the seventy-six-year-old man heaved the masterpiece toward himself until it tore from the wall and ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Building The Future Series

Contributed by David Rumley on Jan 4, 2007

On the Road to Bethlehem is a series leading up to Christmas day. Based on a series by Jim Bradford this is a historical look at Bethlehem that helps us bury our past, build our future, and birth a miracle in our lives.

Part 2 - On the Road to Bethlehem Building the Future 3 part series… on the way to Bethlehem… Mark spiritual encounter points as we prepare out hearts for the entrance of Jesus in powerful ways into our lives as we approach this Christmas! Ruth Chapter 1 15-19 15 "Look," said Naomi, "your ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:15-19

Denomination: Pentecostal

Birthing A Miracle Series

Contributed by David Rumley on Jan 4, 2007

On the Road to Bethlehem is a series leading up to Christmas day. Based on a series by Jim Bradford this is a historical look at Bethlehem that helps us bury our past, build our future, and birth a miracle in our lives.

Part 3 of 3 - On the Road to Bethlehem Birthing a Miracle 3 part series… on the way to Bethlehem… Mark spiritual encounter points as we prepare out hearts for the entrance of Jesus in powerful ways into our lives as we approach this Christmas! Micah 5:1-5 1 Marshal your troops, O city of ...read more

Scripture: Micah 5:1-5

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Story Of Four Series

Contributed by Richard White on Feb 9, 2013

We all have a past, some would like to bury it, but coming to face Jesus we find He is not shocked by what we have done, yet He offers us unconditional love.

The Story of 4 1 Peter 5:7 Everyone has a story, a past, a present and a future. Many of us have a past that we buried some with alcohol, or drugs, work, hobbies and other sorts of objects. Healing the old wounds does not come, so we bury them deep. Meet Amy She is a lesbian; she has been in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:7

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Can You Forgive Yourself?

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Apr 15, 2013

We need to deal with our past in order to experience not only the forgiveness that Jesus brought to us on the cross , but to understand that his grace is sufficient. Forgiving ourselves is part of the Christian package. Beloved, His grace is sufficient!

For those unfamiliar with an Anglican Service there are four Scripture readings before the message. Today’s readings were: Acts:9:1-20; Psalm 30; Revelation 5: 11-14 and John 21:1-19. Today’s Gospel reading .... points to a person who Jesus had called to be ............a fisher of men. He was ...read more

Scripture: John 21:1-19

Denomination: Anglican

Do You Want To Get Well

Contributed by Rick Gillespie- Mobley on Apr 3, 2012

Jesus encounters the man at the pool and seeks to empower him with more than what the man had had for the past 38 years. Jesus asks us as individuals and as a church, "Do We Want To Get Well"

Do You Want To Get Well Luke 19:28-40 John5:1-15 Palm Sunday Calvary 4/2/2012 Jesus Christ came into this world to give people another chance at life. Palm Sunday was his announcement to the world that he was the king they had been waiting for to turn their lives around. One of the ...read more

Scripture: John 5:1-15

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

He Will Do It Again

Contributed by Bala Samson on Nov 17, 2013

Friends, the most important point I want to drive across to you today is that, when you face a gigantic problem: think of all the goodness that He had done in the past, and get equipped to face the

He will do it again ! Deuteronomy 3:21,22"And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, 'Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so will the LORD do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. You must not fear them, for the LORD your God Himself fights for you.' ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 3:20-22

Denomination: Pentecostal